What - short of mass extinction - does the Earth have to do to get the respect it deserves from our species?

In what we've come to call "Western" culture, the voluntary communal relationship has more or less died. There are no "Elders" that are respected and expected to be wise, and there is little consideration for any living being, or intelligence, outside of our own species.

In what we've come to call "Indigenous" culture, the Elder is a respected aged person who is also expected to have gained the wisdom of their experiences. Because of this, this person is often sought out for advice and knowledge; and, even if not, generally dispenses knowledge just by living, breathing and speaking with others.

From an "indigenous" point of view, the Earth is the greatest Elder resource that we have on this planet. It is to be respected and it is expected to dispense wisdom to the rest of the Earth populace.

Considering this, what - short of mass extinction - does the Earth have to do to get the respect it absolutely deserves (after all, doesn't it provide EVERYTHING we use aside from light and night) from our species? What obstacle must the Earth put in our species way in order for it to finally be sought out for its knowledge on existence?

Jun 30 2011:
Sanyu, according to Lester Brown the tipping point that will make everyone feel the impact of climate change is rising food prices. Sadly, if we wait for this to happen in the US, that means that the rest of the world would have sufferred greatly, unless we implement the solution strategies aggressively and this decade is our last chance.

Jun 30 2011:
Hi Sanyu Nagenda
I think Earth just has to talk. But we have to listen too. Maybe an ad campaign might help: a National Geographic show about fishing for plastic in the Northern Pacific gyre. Or a radio show highlighting whale songs that get drowned out by ships engines. Ansel Adams style photos of a blighted forest due to mismanagement. YouTube clips of dying polar bears. Billboards selling property with landfill and hazardous waste. A campaign fundraiser with candidates having a swimming race through an oil spill. Well, it's a start.
Mark

Jun 30 2011:
I think your second sentence sums it up perfectly. The Earth is doing everything it can to communicate with us. Many of us are listening, but there are to many powerful and vocal "people" who stand to gain from the status quot, so they use their "volume" to drown out the rational discourse.